The field of clinical psychology has powerful and effective tools for treating anxiety disorders. But their rates continue to skyrocket, remaining the most diagnosed of the mental health conditions. What explains this disconnect? This interactive presentation will discuss ways in which the conceptualization of anxiety as a disease, rather than an emotion with advantageous qualities, contributes to this problem. It will go on to distinguish between anxiety as an emotion – defined as nervous apprehension about future uncertainty and biological and cognitive changes that prepare us to cope with that uncertainty – and anxiety disorders, characterized by functional impairments in coping with distressing anxiety. It will conclude by presenting a framework for understanding and communicating about anxiety in ways that can have a positive impact on the prevention of anxiety disorders in children, parents, and adults as well as the treatment of anxiety disorders, including supporting clients’ engagement in the challenges of therapy.

Dr. Dennis-Tiwary’s covers this and more in her forthcoming book, Future Tense: Why Anxiety is Good for You (Even Though it Feels Bad). 

CE Learning Objectives

Following this presentation, participants will be able to:

1.) Describe and apply three research findings on the functional and adaptive aspects of the emotion of anxiety, as distinguished from anxiety disorders.

2.) Implement two techniques for helping clients investigate the positive informational value of anxiety

3.) Distinguish two ways helpful anxiety differs from unhelpful anxiety

4.) Develop one emotion regulatory skill that promotes the ability to manage anxiety and leverage it towards advantageous goals. 

About Presenter

Tracy Dennis-Tiwary Ph.D. (The Pennsylvania State University) is a professor in the Psychology Department at Hunter College, The City University of New York, Executive Director of the Center for Health Technology, and Founder and Chief Science Officer of the digital health startup Wise Therapeutics. Trained in clinical psychology and neuroscience from a developmental perspective, she examines biopsychosocial factors in anxiety and emotion regulation across the lifespan, and neurocognitive processes underlying novel treatment approaches for anxiety, stress, and addiction. She translated this research into the development of one of the first clinically validated stress- and anxiety-reduction mobile games, Personal Zen. Her first book, Future Tense: Why Anxiety Is Good for You (Even Though It Feels Bad) (HarperWave) is available May 3.

Downloads of articles about the anxiety-related attention bias and safety learning in anxiety, and her Psychology Today article on the adaptive value of anxiety available at links.

Target Audience

This presentation is intended for licensed mental health professionals and  graduate student trainees. The instructional level of this presentation is beginner.

Continuing Education

• Philadelphia Behavior Therapy Association is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists*. Philadelphia Behavior Therapy Association maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
• This program provides two (2) hours of CE credits.
• PBTA is also an authorized provider of CE credits for Professional Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Clinical Social Workers licensed in the state of Pennsylvania.
• Full attendance with video display is required to obtain CE credit for this program. APA guidelines do not permit PBTA to issue partial CE credits. No refunds are provided for CE programs. No exceptions allowed.
• * PBTA does not currently offer CE to practitioners licensed in the state of New York. 
• Non-psychologists outside of PA please confirm with your respective licensing board in advance that this meets criteria for CE credits.